Advances in technology have led to substantial changes to electrical distribution systems as they evolve towards a so-called “smart grid” that supports distributed energy generation from solar, wind, and other distributed energy sources in a resilient and adaptive manner. One advancement is the deployment of localized electrical systems or “microgrids,” which are capable of disconnecting from a larger utility grid (or backbone grid) and operating autonomously, alternatively referred to as “islanding.” In many instances, these microgrid systems may also include local energy sources, which can be utilized to augment the utility grid.
In practice, it is not uncommon to have an imbalance between the available power at a particular point or area on an electrical grid and the demand for power from various loads at that particular point or area. As a result, the frequency of the electrical grid can deviate from the nominal (or intended) frequency. For example, excessive power generation in a local area can raise the frequency of the supply voltage signals in that area, and conversely, too little power generation in the local area can depress the frequency of the supply voltage signals. This is undesirable, particularly when the local area includes one or more electrical loads that are sensitive to frequency changes. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and methods capable of regulating the frequency of electrical signals on the electrical grid. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.